The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga participated today in Prekaz, at the manifestation dedicated to Tahir and Nebih Mehaj, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of their fall.
On this occasion President Jahjaga held a speech which we bring below:
Honoured family members of Tahir and Nebih Mehaj,
Honoured fellow-countrymen and fellow-fighters,
Coming into this Tower of Drenica makes us all proud, because generations are inspired with this that is our glorious history.
The history of Kosovo would be quite different if on 13 May 1981 the family of Tahir and Nebih Mehaj would not stand, if they would not commit the act of protecting the house, the reputation and thehonour, which was an act of national defence, an act of human dignity of this area, which gave the enemy the response he deserved from time.
The heroic act of this family, of these men became the symbol for the spring of ’81 that determined that this folk do not live without freedom, that this folk are not living without a state, that this folk are lords of their territories.
Tahir and Nebih Mehaj, as well as the ancestors of this family and the ancestors of Drenica, became a symbol of the glorious struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army which brought the freedom and independence of Kosovo, which brought international support and the intervention of NATO airstrikes against Serbia, and the unsparing support of the United States of America.
By remembering and honouring the martyrs and heroes we honour ourselves, we honour the highest values of man, we honour and build the future.
The Republic of Kosovo today is a state of free citizens, is a country that aims and will achieve Euro-Atlantic integrations, and will become a member of the European Union and the Organization of the United Nations.
My Dear fellow citizens,
Kosovo is building the democracy, Kosovo is promoting the rights and civil liberties. In these processes, we sometimes can not achieve the goals we desire.
As president of the country, I feel hurt when even today the boys and girls of Kosovo emerge across the streets to demonstrate for their own political goals, or to submit a request, or to file any concern. It is also painful that on the other side we have the police of Kosovo who protect the rule of law.
It is not good for anyone that we have not established the mechanisms to negotiate, we haven’t created circumstances that not the streets but the institutions should be the place where solution are found.
This does not honour me or anyone else, because the ideal of all martyrs was
That the free Kosovo to be a place of democracy, a place of promoting human and civil values.
We must all work jointly and honestly as brothers and sisters that are, to send the country forward, to realize the ideals for which sacrifices are made.
I, the President of the country, here in this tower, which is a symbol of resistance, say that I will never stop working for the interests of my country, the interests of my people. There is no sacrifice which we together can not face.
The act of Tahir and Nebih Mehaj, whose memory has gathered us here, is sacred, is a guide, which informs us that we will never stop and that there is no issue which we can not agree on and about which we can not compromise with each other.
The national interests, the interests of the people are above all.
I wish we will always be together in the manifestations of national pride and dignity.
I wish that this place and all of you have more manifestations of progress and meetings of joy.
Glory to the heroism of Tahir and Nebih Mehaj.
Tribute to the sacrifice of all the national cause activists.
Thank you.
This post is also available in: SQ